Lid container apparatus

ABSTRACT

The invention is a lid apparatus with a removable member positioned within a groove insert on the top portion of the lid apparatus that creates a cavity space for containing within it a plurality of beverage related accessories.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to a lid apparatus, and more specifically, to a lid apparatus with a removable panel positioned within a groove insert on the top portion of the lid apparatus that creates a cavity space for containing within it a plurality of beverage related accessories.

COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARK NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent application may contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.

Certain marks referenced herein may be common law or registered trademarks of third parties affiliated or unaffiliated with the applicant or the assignee. Use of these marks is by way of example and shall not be construed as descriptive or to limit the scope of this invention to material associated only with such marks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Drinking cup lids serve a variety of useful and decorative purposes. They range from acting as labels, to facilitating the drinking or pouring process, to limiting the oxygen exposure of contents, to acting as toys, to merely sitting there as a decoration. A lid is constrained by the opening in the cup that it is made for, thus lids come in as many shapes and sizes as there are cups.

The restaurant service industry makes particular use of lids to facilitate spill-free drinking of both hot and cold beverages. Because take-out food services allow customers to consume food and beverages on the go, beverage lids prevent spilling as beverages are consumed while walking or driving. As most cups in the take-out industry are disposable, so too are the lids that come with them. Plastic is the preferred material for disposable lids as it is cheap to produce, easily molded into irregular shapes, and will retain those shapes as it is stretched and fit onto a cup's opening.

Restaurants often carry disposable cups of different volumes, but with the same size opening so the different sized cups can all use the same disposable lid. Cold beverage lids are made so that they may be easily punctured by a drinking straw. Hot beverage lids stand above the rim of a cup and make room for lips to surround a protruding hole without touching the hot sides of the cup itself. This allows one to carefully sip the contents of the cup without getting burned.

Factors that can affect the value of hot and cold beverage lids are their ease of use, number of uses, reliability, and aesthetic design. Reliability is the most important factor as spilling the contents of a beverage due to a faulty lid results in customer dissatisfaction at the very least and has the potential to result in liability for damages or injuries. Besides preventing contents from spilling out and helping one drink the beverage, hot and cold beverage lids can have many more uses. Notable examples of additional uses are multiple upward indentations that one may press inward to label a beverage, indentations in the lid that outline aesthetic patterns, extrusions that are meant to fit into cup holders, and flaps that hang at the side of cups so that one may grip the flaps instead of the cup.

There is a continual need in the art for a beverage lid that has more uses than the beverage lids currently in use. Specifically, there is a need for a device that holds restaurant and beverage accessories in addition to the existing beverage uses that lids already have in the restaurant industry. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To minimize the limitations in the prior art, and to minimize other limitations that will be apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention describes a hot beverage lid that can store small restaurant accessories in a cavity.

A beverage container lid having a storage compartment, in accordance with the present invention, comprising a body for substantially covering an opening of the beverage container, the body having a lower portion and an upper portion; a removeably attachable member for securely coupling to the body; and a means for securely attaching the member to the upper portion of the body; wherein the removeably attachable member attached to said upper portion of said body creates a storage compartment between the body and the member, providing a storage enclosure for a plurality of beverage accessories.

A beverage container lid having a storage compartment, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a body for substantially covering an opening of a beverage container; and a fixed member coupled to the body; wherein the fixed member and the body create a storage compartment substantially enclosed between the body and the fixed member, providing a means for storage of beverage accessories.

A beverage container lid having a storage cavity for storing beverage accessories, in accordance with the present invention, comprising a groove insert positioned within an upper surface of the lid; and a panel for removeably coupling to the groove insert; wherein the panel coupled to the groove insert creates a storage cavity substantially enclosed between an exterior surface of the lid and the coupled panel.

The hot beverage lid comprises an improvement in lid design whereby the elevated portion of the lid that is opposite the drinking hole is shaped to be used to store restaurant accessories such as napkins or sugar packets. The storage space is enclosed by card stock or similar material that can be preprinted with a trademark or advertisement.

It is an objective of the present invention to assist those drinking hot beverages by creating a convenient place to hold beverage accessories that would otherwise have to be held by hand.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide valuable advertising or trademark identification on an accessible object where such communication was not possible before.

Finally, it is yet another objective of the present invention to provide additional uses to hot beverage lids without sacrificing the quality, ease of use, number of uses, or cost of lids already in place.

These and other advantages and features of the present invention are described herein with specificity so as to make the present invention understandable to one of ordinary skill in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Elements in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale in order to enhance their clarity and improve understanding of these various elements and embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, elements that are known to be common and well understood to those in the industry are not depicted in order to provide a clear view of the various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1( a) is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting the lid apparatus with a removable member positioned within a groove insert on the top portion of the lid apparatus that creates a cavity space for containing within it a plurality of beverage related accessories.

FIG. 1( b) is another front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, but depicting each of its components separately in an exploded view.

FIG. 1( c) is a rear perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicting the groove insert with the removable member inserted therein.

FIG. 1( d) is a rear perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicting the groove insert without the removable member inserted therein.

FIG. 2( a) is a side perspective view of an alternate embodiment depicting in part a hinge mechanism for attaching the removable member onto the upper portion of the lid apparatus, and where the removable member is in an open position.

FIG. 2( b) is another side perspective view of the alternate embodiment, but depicting the removable member in a closed position.

FIG. 3( a) is a side perspective view of yet another alternate embodiment depicting in part a pivotal mechanism for attaching the removable member onto the top portion of the lid apparatus.

FIG. 3( b) is another side perspective view of this alternate embodiment depicting the removable member pivoted to one side of the lid apparatus.

FIG. 4( a) is a front perspective view of a yet another alternate embodiment of the present invention depicting the lid apparatus with a permanent cover creating a cavity space in lieu of a removable member attached within a groove insert.

FIG. 4( b) is a rear perspective view of the alternate embodiment showing the cavity space created by the permanent cover on the top portion of the lid apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following discussion that addresses a number of embodiments and applications of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, where depictions are made, by way of illustration, of specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1( a) is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting a lid apparatus with a removable member positioned within a groove insert on the top portion of the lid apparatus that creates a cavity space for containing within it a plurality of beverage related accessories.

In the exemplary embodiment, lid apparatus 100 is generally circular in shape and used for covering a beverage container, such as a disposable cup. As is generally known, most, if not all, coffee shops, restaurants, and other types of food establishments use disposable containers to serve a variety of hot beverages. One of the more popular hot beverages that are served to consumers is coffee. Typically, a consumer ordering a hot coffee beverage to-go will attach upon the top of the beverage container a lid, usually made of plastic, in order to keep the beverage hot for a longer period of time and to prevent spillage.

As indicated above, the lid apparatus 100 of the present invention has a groove insert 101 for placement of a removable member 102. Groove insert 101 is located on the opposite side of lid apparatus 100 from where mouthpiece 103 is located. Lid apparatus 100 may also have one or more small-sized openings for purposes of air pressure equalization when lid apparatus 100 is attached to a beverage container with liquid inside it. Further, groove insert 101 is positioned within the inner peripheral circumferential and center areas of the upper portion 104 of lid apparatus 100. The lower portion 105 of lid apparatus 100 refers to that part of the lid that is commonly known in the industry to attach securely onto a corresponding beverage container. Mouthpiece 103 is an opening on upper portion 104 that is commonly known in the art to be for a user to ingest or drink a beverage from a beverage container attached to a lid.

FIG. 1( b) is another front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, but depicting each of its components separately in an exploded view. In this view, the full shape of removable member 102 is displayed. Also shown is a napkin 107 that may be used in connection with the present invention and that is discussed in further detail below. In the exemplary embodiment, removable member 102 contains at least three groove sides, 102 a, 102 b and 102 c, that correspond in whole to the overall shape of groove insert 101 (an explanation of the shape of groove insert 101 in the exemplary embodiment can be found below in the discussions relating to FIG. 1( d)). The remaining three sides of removable member 102 have two straights side and one curved side. However, the number of total sides of removable member 102 depicted here should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. There may be one or more sides to removable member 102 depending on its shape. Further, the overall shape of removable member 102 may vary depending on the shape of groove insert 101, and is not limited to one particular shape for purposes of the present invention.

In the exemplary embodiment, removable member 102 is made of cardstock paper, which is thick enough to withstand at least minimal amounts of forces by indentations, folding or warping as a result of holding in place the beverage accessories inserted between removable member 102 and upper portion 104. While cardstock may used to create removable member 102, this is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Other types of paper may be used, or even other types of materials, such as plastic, sturdy fabrics or other comparable material that serves the overall purposes of removable member 102.

Further, in the exemplary embodiment, removable member 102 may be used as a platform for advertising messages, brand name or trademark displays or other information directed to consumers or related to the beverage and its contents. This enables the beverage provider or any other person or company to communicate its desired message to consumers in a readily viewable and distinct visible manner. For example, a mortgage company may contract or otherwise arrange with the provider of lids to display a message regarding refinancing, with information about who to contact in order to do so. As another example, information about a soup kitchen may be displayed on the removable member 102 with a specified proceed that is given to the soup kitchen with each purchase of a beverage and accompanying lid. While the exemplary embodiment may contain these various types of information relating to advertising and brand name recognition, this should not be interpreted as limiting the type of information that may be displayed on removable member 102.

FIG. 1( c) is a rear perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicting the groove insert 101 with the removable member 102 inserted therein. In this view, the cavity space, or storage enclosure 106, formed between removable member 102 and upper portion 104 can be seen and is used for containing one or more beverage related accessories. In the exemplary embodiment, storage enclosure 106 contains at least a napkin 107 (also shown in FIG. 1( b)). However, a variety of items may be situated within storage enclosure 106, such as sugar packets, stirrers, powdered creamer, and other beverage related accessories. The use of storage enclosure 106 allows a user or consumer to have the needed or desired beverage related condiments and accessories readily at hand with their beverage. This is especially important for consumers who buy the beverage to-go or in a drive-thru as it saves them the time and hassle of requesting the various beverage condiments and accessories.

FIG. 1( d) is a rear perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicting groove insert 101 without removable member 102 inserted therein. In this view, the general shape of groove insert 101 can be seen. In the exemplary embodiment, groove insert 101 comprises side inserts positioned on opposite sides, side inserts 101 a and 101 b, of the inner upper circumference of lid apparatus 100 and cover approximately half of the total upper circumference of upper portion 104. Sides 101 a and 101 b of groove insert 101 are interconnected by a middle insert 101 c. Groove insert 101 may also comprise middle insert 101 c, which is located across the top of and in close proximity to the diameter of upper portion 104.

Side inserts 101 a and 101 b and middle insert 101 c are indented within the inner upper circumference of upper portion 104 enough so that removable member 102 is able to securely snap into place and does not readily fall off lid apparatus 100. As discussed above with respect to FIG. 1( b), removable member 102 may have one or more sides for fitting within groove insert 101. Accordingly, groove insert 101 may have a different number of total inserts depending on the shape of removable member 102, and not necessarily have side inserts 101 a and 101 b and middle insert 101 c in each embodiment of the present invention. For example, if removable member 102 is semi-circular in shape, groove insert 101 would comprise a half-circle insert shape in order to accommodate the shape of removable member 102.

FIG. 2( a) is a side perspective view of an alternate embodiment depicting in part a hinge mechanism 201 for attaching a removable member 202 onto an upper portion 204 of a lid apparatus 200, and where the removable member 202 is in an open position. In this embodiment, hinge mechanism 201 comprises two small-sized hinges, 201 a and 201 b, that are positioned opposite mouthpiece 205 upon upper portion 204 in two circular spaces. In this embodiment employing the use of hinge mechanism 201, hinges 201 a and 201 b may be circular in size and also attach onto removable member 202 through circular spaces. Hinges 201 a and 201 b may be made of any material resistant to hot or cold beverages as well as the propensity for rusting. Hinges 201 a and 201 b are attached to upper portion 204 and removable member 102 in such as way as to provide a sturdy and firm hold on removable member 202. This enables removable member 202 to be opened as is seen here in FIG. 2( a), but also allows removable member 202 to be closed (depicted in FIG. 2( b)) so that the beverage related condiments and accessories are firmly held in place.

FIG. 2( b) is another side perspective view of the alternate embodiment, but depicting removable member 202 in a closed position. As noted, hinges 201 a and 201 b allow for removable member 202 to be maintained in a closed position for purposes of holding the beverage related accessories. While the present embodiment depicts the use of two hinges, 201 a and 201 b, this should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention as to the number, type, material or location of the hinges used to maintain removable member 202 in place.

FIG. 3( a) is a side perspective view of yet another alternate embodiment depicting in part a pivotal mechanism for attaching removable member 302 onto upper portion 304 of the lid apparatus 300. In this embodiment, pivotal member 301 is located on the center of the end portion of removable member 302 attached opposite mouthpiece 303. Pivotal member 301 can be made of metal or plastic material and attaches securely within a circular space (not shown) on removable member 302 in order to keep it firmly in place. This is important given that removable member 302 must keep the beverage related condiments and accessories securely in place when in a closed position.

In this embodiment, pivotal member 301 is a small-sized metal snap-piece that encloses the circular space (not shown) within removable member 302 and the segment on upper portion 304 that removable member 302 is attached to. However, the use of a metal snap-piece should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention as the equivalent variations that may be used as a pivotal mechanism.

FIG. 3( b) is another side perspective view of this alternate embodiment depicting removable member 302 pivoted to one side of lid apparatus 300. As indicated above, pivotal member 301 allows removable member 302 to be rotated towards to the left or right angled-directions for purposes such as removing the beverage related contents contained underneath removable member 302.

FIG. 4( a) is a front perspective view of a yet another alternate embodiment of the present invention depicting lid apparatus 400 with a permanent cover 401 creating a cavity space in lieu of removable member attached within a groove insert (as previously explained in further detail in FIGS. 1( a)-(d)). In this embodiment, permanent cover 401 is made of the same material as lid apparatus 400, namely plastic, and which is the most common, if not only, material used to make lids for disposable beverage cups. However, if lid apparatus 400 is made from a different material, such as a mixture of plastic and other recycled materials, permanent cover 401 may also be made of that same material. In addition, permanent cover 401 may be made of a different material than that of the rest of lid apparatus 400 without deviating from the scope of the present invention.

This embodiment of lid apparatus 400 containing permanent cover 401 provides for an alternate way of containing the various beverage accessories. A user cannot readily remove permanent cover 401 as is an option with removable member in the other embodiments (See discussions related to removable member in FIGS. 1-3). Permanent cover 401 covers a substantial area atop upper rim 402 of upper portion 403 of lid apparatus 400. For purposes of practicality, permanent cover 401 may cover much of the area between the opposite sides of upper rim 402 while leaving enough room on upper portion 403 for mouthpiece 404. The covering of the area between the opposite sides of upper rim 402 by permanent cover 401 creates storage enclosure 405. As previously explained, storage enclosure 405 (not shown in this view) contains beverage related condiments and accessories. Additionally, as with the previous embodiments, permanent cover 401 may contain advertisement, promotional, or other types of information pre-printed on it.

FIG. 4( b) is a rear perspective view of the alternate embodiment showing storage enclosure 405 created by the permanent cover 401 on upper rim 402 of upper portion 403 of the lid apparatus 400. The outward arc-like shape depicted as the outer end portion of permanent cover 401 in FIGS. 4( a)-(b) is for purposes of illustration in this particular embodiment. However, the outer end portion of permanent cover 401 can be formed of other shapes as well, such as a semi-circle or a series of multiple arcs, without deviating from the scope of the present invention.

A lid apparatus for a disposable beverage container has been described. The foregoing description of the various exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and disclosure. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims. 

1. A beverage container lid having a storage compartment, comprising: a body for substantially covering an opening of the beverage container, the body having a lower portion and an upper portion; a removeably attachable member for securely coupling to the body; and a means for securely attaching the member to the upper portion of the body; wherein the removeably attachable member attached to said upper portion of said body creates a storage compartment between the body and the member, providing a storage enclosure for a plurality of beverage accessories.
 2. The lid of claim 1, further comprising an opening in said upper portion for beverage output.
 3. The lid of claim 1, further comprising an airflow port for air pressure equalization.
 4. The lid of claim 1, wherein the means for secure attachment of the member to the body comprises a groove insert located in said upper portion for removable attachment.
 5. The lid of claim 4, wherein said groove insert comprises the same shape as that portion of said member that is attached within said groove insert.
 6. The lid of claim 5, wherein said groove insert containing said member are located on the opposite side of said body from said opening for beverage output.
 7. The lid of claim 1, wherein the member further comprises a display for advertising information.
 8. The lid of claim 1, wherein the means for secure attachment of the member to the body comprises at least one hinge for rotation about an axis parallel to the upper portion to provide for substantial enclosure for the storage compartment.
 9. The lid of claim 1, wherein the means for secure attachment of the member to the body comprises a pair of hinges for rotation about an axis parallel to the upper portion to provide for substantial enclosure for the storage compartment.
 10. The lid of claim 1, wherein the means for secure attachment of the member to the body comprises a pivotal member for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the upper portion for substantial enclosure for the storage compartment.
 11. The lid of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment is used to house a napkin.
 12. A beverage container lid having a storage compartment, comprising: a body for substantially covering an opening of a beverage container; and a fixed member coupled to the body; wherein the fixed member and the body create a storage compartment substantially enclosed between the body and the fixed member, providing a means for storage of beverage accessories.
 13. The beverage container lid of claim 12, wherein the body further comprises a lower portion for attaching to a beverage container and an upper portion containing the fixed member and an opening for beverage output.
 14. The beverage container lid of claim 13, wherein the fixed member covers a substantial area of upper portion and is located opposite the opening for beverage output.
 15. The beverage container lid of claim 12, wherein the storage compartment is used to house a beverage accessory.
 16. The beverage container lid of claim 15, wherein the beverage accessory further comprises a napkin.
 17. A beverage container lid having a storage cavity for storing beverage accessories, comprising: a groove insert positioned within an upper surface of the lid; and a panel for removeably coupling to the groove insert; wherein the panel coupled to the groove insert creates a storage cavity substantially enclosed between an exterior surface of the lid and the coupled panel.
 18. The beverage container lid of claim 17, wherein the storage cavity is used to house a beverage accessory.
 19. The beverage container lid of claim 18, wherein the beverage accessory further comprises a napkin.
 20. The beverage container lid of claim 18, wherein the beverage accessory further comprises a packet of sugar. 